Table or seating device

ABSTRACT

A table or a seating device fabricated from a fiber glass, plastic, or the like, adapted for indoor and outdoor use having a top planar member maintained in a horizontal position by a support base comprised of at least three identical legs, disposed in a side by side relationship. The outer surface of each leg being dished inwardly to form a generally concave surface extending from the bottom to the top end thereof; a portion of the top end being flared outwardly with respect to the concave surface such that the upper surface of each flared out portion is positioned to be fastened to the lower surface of a top planar member. Upon assembly of the top planar member with each flared out portion, the adjacent edges of each leg abut to define a line at least portion of which is concave. The interior portion of the support base defined by the inner walls of each leg is adapted to be filled with a material of sufficient consistency to provide ballast for maintaining the table or seating device in an upright position when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind and the like.

United States Patent Kleinert [54] TABLE OR SEATING DEVICE Werner L. Kleinert, 37246 Ruth Drive, Sterling Heights, Mich. 48077 [22] Filed: May 15,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 37,524

[72] Inventor:

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,561,271 2/1969 France ..108/150 [4 1 May 23, 1972 Primary Examiner-James C. Mitchell Att0meyI-Iauke, Gifi'ord and Patalidis [57] ABSTRACT a top planar member maintained in a horizontal position by asupporLbase comprised of at least three identical legs,

"disposed in a side by side relationship. The outer surface of each leg being dished inwardly to form a generally concave surface extending from the bottom to the top end thereof;a portion of the top end being flared outwardly with respect to the concave surface such that the upper surface of each flared out portion is positioned to be fastened to the lower surface of a top planar member. Upon assembly of the top planar member with each flared out portion, the adjacent edges of each leg abut to define a line at least portion of which is concave. The interior portion of the support base defined by the inner walls of each leg is adapted to be filled with a material of suflicient consistency to provide ballast for maintaining the table or seating device in an upright position when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind and the like.

1 1 Claims, 8 Drawing figures PATENTEUHAY 23 I972 SHEET 1 0F 2 INVENTOR WERNER L. KLEI NERT FIG-5 PATENTEBMAY 2 3 \912 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR WERNER L. KLEINERT FIG-8 TABLE OR SEATING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to tables and seating devices, and in particular to fiber glass tables and seating devices which are adapted for indoor and outdoor use.

2. Description of the Prior Art The art of manufacturing tables and seating devices has undergone a substantial transformation with the advent of fiber glass and plastics as materials of construction, and particularly in the field of outdoor furniture. Such tables and seating devices must not only be of sufficient strength to withstand the heavy-use, to which such outdoor furniture is generally subjected, but they must also be of such a construction as to endure the outdoor elements that can destroy the furniture over a short period of time or damage the exposed surfaces to such an extent that the loss of aesthetic beauty renders the furniture of little value.

Since outdoor furniture is adapted to be moved considerably more than its indoor counterpart, such furniture must be of such a construction to afford the use of materials which are not only of light weight, but the construction must permit easy disassembly of the furniture so that storage thereof may be had without utilizing a substantial amount of room. At the same time, the furniture must be of sufficient weight such that it will remain in an upright position when subjected to external forces, such as wind and the like.

Since such tables are adapted for outdoor use, they are preferably of such a construction so as to permit the use of an umbrella or the like, if so desired by the user, yet the use of such an umbrella should not interfere with the aesthetic beauty of the table and there should be sufficient connection between the umbrella and the table to prevent the umbrella from being blown loose at least during ordinary winds.

Such outdoor furniture must be provided by a manufacturer at a reasonable cost, and as such, the furniture must be of a design which permits ease of fabrication, resulting in a product that is attractive in its overall appearance, yet functional in that it provides a proper amount of leg room and the like for the user.

Likewise there is a need for indoor furniture for recreation rooms and the like which can maintain its beauty with little care and despite rough use.

None of the prior art devices provide inexpensive indooroutdoor furniture having all of these advantages while maintaining the overall aesthetic beauty of the furniture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention which will be described subsequently in greater detail comprises a table or seating device or the like which although adapted for outdoor use can be used indoors in recreation rooms or the like as well. The table has a top planar member maintained in a horizontal position by a support base comprised of a plurality of basically identical legs disposed in a side by side relationship, the outer exposed surface of each leg being dished inwardly to form a generally concave surface. The top portion of each leg is flared outwardly with respect to its associated concave surface and is fastened to the lower surface of the top planar member. Upon assembly of the legs to the top planar member, the adjacent edges of each leg and a portion of the inner unexposed wall of each leg proximate their edges are in abutment and define a concave line. In one embodiment, the hollow interior of the support base, as defined by the unexposed concave walls of each leg, is filled with a material of sufficient consistency, such as sand and the like, to provide ballast to maintain the table or seating device in an upright position when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind and the like.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a table or seating device which is inexpensive to manufacture, of substantial strength and durability, yet one which is of light weight and adapted to be easily disassembled for storage.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a table or seating device having a top planar member which is supported by a plurality of identical legs which upon assembly is attractive to the user and is adapted for both indoor and outdoor use.

Other objects, advantages, and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the accompanying description'of one example of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of one example of a table and several seating devices constructed in accordance with the present invention, the table being partially sectioned to illustrate the interior thereof;

FIG. 2 is a top planar view of the table illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a bottom planar view of the table illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the table illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the table illustrated in FIG. 1 with the top member removed; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIG. I, there is shown a table and a pair of stools respectively designated by the numerals l0 and 12, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The table 10 comprises a flat circular shaped top member 14, which is maintained in a horizontal position by means of a support base 16. The top member 14 has an annular step 18 proximate the peripheral edge thereof and its sole purpose is to add to the aesthetic beauty of the table. The top member 14 is preferably made from fiber glass, however other materials such as plastic may also be utilized in its construction.

In the preferred embodiment, the support base 16 is comprised of three substantially identical leg sections 20, 22 and 24 secured to the lower surface 26 of the top member 14 by a plurality of fasteners, such as screws 28 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. As can be seen from the drawings, each of the leg sections is formed to be symmetrical about a vertically extending median plane and is provided with a generally inwardly dished, concave exterior surface. The identical leg sections 20, 22 and 24 are preferably constructed of fiber glass, however, in the same manner as the top member 14, the leg portions may be constructed of other materials, such as plastic and the like. The mannerin which the leg sections are fabricated and their particular configuration will be described in further detail hereinafter.

Each of the stools 12 has a flat top member 30, similar to the table top member 14, maintained in a horizontal position by a support base 32. The top member 30 of the stool 12 is of such a size as to accommodate the seating of one person. The support base 32 of the stool 12 is comprised of three substantially identical leg sections (one of which is indicated in FIG. 1 at 33) fastened to the underside of the stool top member 30 by means of a plurality of fasteners such as screws (not shown). The stools 12 are preferably constructed of fiber glass, however, they too may be constructed of plastic or the like in the same manner as the table 10. Since the method of fabrication and construction of the stool 12 is substantially identical to the method of fabrication and construction of the table 10, the description herein which makes reference to the table 10 is to be understood as beingapplicable to both the table 10 and the stools 12.

Referring now to the several drawings for a detailed description of the method of fabrication and construction of the table 10, and particularly to FIGS. 3 through 8 for an illustration of the shape of the leg sections 20, 22 and 24; each of the identical leg sections 20, 22 and 24 is dished inwardly such that the outer exposed surface 34 is concavely shaped from the top, to the bottom end thereof. A portion of the top end 36. of each leg is flared outwardly with respect to the concave surface 34, such that, the upper surface 38 thereof lies in a horizontal plane parallel to the lower surface 26 of the top member 14 as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 4. The lower surface 26 of the top member 14 is adapted to be positioned upon and supported by the upper surface 38 formed by the abutting leg sections 20,

22 and 24. The top end 36 is provided with a plurality of aper tures 39 through which the fasteners 28 extend to attach the legs 20, 22 and 24 to the top member 14. The identical leg sections 20, 22 and 24 are placed in a side by side relationship with the top ends 36 of each leg forming the generally circular surface 38 upon which the top member is supported, as hereinbefore described.

When assembled to the lower surface 26 of the top member 14, a portion of an inner unexposed wall 40 of each leg proximate adjacent edges are in abutment and define a concave line along the extremity of the adjacent leg edges. The feet 46 of table are also formed by the abutment of adjacent end portions of each leg 20, 22 and 24.

The abutting inner wall portions 40 of each leg are secured together by means of a plurality of screws 47 placed along the abutting edges of each leg. A vinyl extruded molding 48 of a U-shape cross section is adapted to slip over the adjacent outer edges of each abutting pair of legs so as to cover the screws from view and to add to the overall aesthetic beauty of the table 10. The vinyl extruded molding 48 is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6. Other means such as a suitable bonding adhesive may be used to join the legs.

In order to prevent tipping of the table when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind or the like, the interior portion 50 defined by the inner wall 40 of each leg is adapted to be filled with a material of sufficient consistency so as to provide a ballast 51 of sufficient weight to maintain the table in an upright position. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ballast utilized is sand, however other suitable ballast may also be used. When the table of the present invention is used indoors, a ballast of course is not required.

In order to maintain the sand or the like within the interior portion 50, a bottom section 52 having a shape which is complementary to the interior portion 50 formed by the adjacent inner walls 40 of each leg is fastened thereby by means of a plurality ol'scrcws 53 (FIG. 5). The screws 53 extend through a flange 54 extending downwardly from the bottom section 52.

Assembly and disassembly of the table 10 and stools 12 are easily accomplished. To assemble the table, each of the legs 20, 22 and 24 is screwed together along their adjacent edges with the bottom section 52 in place. The ballast 51 is supplied to the interior through the open top end of the support base 16. The vinyl extruded molding is then placed along the abutting edges of each leg. The top is placed upon the circular surface 38 formed by the top end 36 of each leg and is fastened thereto by screws 28. Disassembly is easily accomplished by reversing this procedure.

Since each of the leg sections 20, 22 and 24 of the table 10 and the corresponding leg portions of the stool 12 are identical, the table 10 and stool 12 are adaptable for high volume production thus permitting the construction of a table or stool which is relatively inexpensive. Since the table and stools are preferably constructed of fiber glass, they are well suited to the outdoors, as the same will resist deterioration from the elements, while at the same time the simple construction and the use of the interior to conceal the sand or other ballast provides a table or stool having an attractive overall appearance.

Although not illustrated, the table lends itse f well to receive an umbrella or the like. If the user of the table 10 desires an umbrella, the table 10 may easily be provided with an aperture (not shown) at the center of the top member 14. The umbrella will be securely held by the ballast or if preferred other suitable holding means may be supplied in the interior portion 50 of the support base 16 to receive and securely hold the umbrella extending downwardly therethrough.

The shape and design of the instant table would conceal the lower portion of the umbrella, thus the use of the same does not take away from the overall appearance of the table 14, and since the table is weighted down by suitable ballast, such as sand or the like, the table will not be tilted from the upright position due to forces, such as wind, acting on the umbrella or the table itself.

It should also be noted that the present design provides a table and stool, which in addition to eliminating many of the disadvantages of the prior art tables and seating devices, is of a low cost to manufacture; very attractive in its overall appearance thus adapted for both indoor and outdoor use; and which provides adequate foot room for the user in that a minimal amount of the leg portions of the support base extend outwardly from the center of the tables or stools.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is as follows:

1. A table or seating device comprising a top member and a support base comprised of a plurality of identical legs, each of said legs being dished concavely inwardly and being symmetrical about a vertical median plane, each of said legs having opposite generally vertical curved edges, each curved edge of said leg engaging a curved edge of an adjacent leg throughout its length whereby said legs are positioned side by side to form a completely enclosed hollow support base for said top member, and means mounting said top member to said support base.

2. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises each of said legs having upper, substantially horizontal flared out portions which together form a substantially circular supporting means, said top member being fastened to said supporting means.

3. The table or seating device defined in claim 1, wherein said legs are comprised principally of a fiber glass material.

4. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said legs are comprised principally of a plastic material.

5. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said support base is comprised of at least three legs.

6. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cross sectional shape of an intermediate portion of said support. base taken in a horizontal plane is that of a hollow triangular section having three substantially identical concave inwardly shaped sides.

7. The table or seating device of claim 1, wherein the interior of said support base is adapted to be filled with a material of sufficient consistency to provide a ballast for maintaining said table in an upright position when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind or the like.

8. The table or seating device of claim 7, wherein said material is comprised principally of sand.

9. The table or seating device of claim 7, including a support member having a shape complementary to the shape of the interior of said support base and disposed proximate the bottom portion of said support base so as to retain said material within said support base interior.

10. The table or seating device of claim 1, wherein a portion of said support base intermediate the top and bottom ends of said support base is of a lesser cross sectional size than said top and bottom ends.

11. The table or seating device of claim 1, including means for fastening said adjacent edges of said adjacent legs to one another. 

1. A table or seating device comprising a top member and a support base comprised of a plurality of identical legs, each of said legs being dished concavely inwardly and being symmetrical about a vertical median plane, each of said legs having opposite generally vertical curved edges, each curved edge of said leg engaging a curved edge of an adjacent leg throughout its length whereby said legs are positioned side by side to form a completely enclosed hollow support base for said top member, and means mounting said top member to said support base.
 2. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises each of said legs having upper, substantially horizontal flared out portions which together form a substantially circular supporting means, said top member being fasTened to said supporting means.
 3. The table or seating device defined in claim 1, wherein said legs are comprised principally of a fiber glass material.
 4. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said legs are comprised principally of a plastic material.
 5. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein said support base is comprised of at least three legs.
 6. The table or seating device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cross sectional shape of an intermediate portion of said support base taken in a horizontal plane is that of a hollow triangular section having three substantially identical concave inwardly shaped sides.
 7. The table or seating device of claim 1, wherein the interior of said support base is adapted to be filled with a material of sufficient consistency to provide a ballast for maintaining said table in an upright position when the same is subjected to an external force, such as wind or the like.
 8. The table or seating device of claim 7, wherein said material is comprised principally of sand.
 9. The table or seating device of claim 7, including a support member having a shape complementary to the shape of the interior of said support base and disposed proximate the bottom portion of said support base so as to retain said material within said support base interior.
 10. The table or seating device of claim 1, wherein a portion of said support base intermediate the top and bottom ends of said support base is of a lesser cross sectional size than said top and bottom ends.
 11. The table or seating device of claim 1, including means for fastening said adjacent edges of said adjacent legs to one another. 